Search - Karunesh :: Beyond Heaven

KARUNESH delivers another album of engaging, hypnotic instru

Jeffery K. Matheus | Indianapolis, IN United States | 04/24/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first discovered the music of German-born new age musician Karunesh with 2004's excellent "Call of the Mystic" (in my opinion, one of the top new age/instrumental recordings of recent years, rating right alongside Kitaro's recent "Spiritual Garden".) Since that time I have been working my way through his back catalog, and have found that Karunesh is not merely a one trick pony, but an artist of great musical diversity. Some of his albums are in the realm of minimalist 'healing/relaxation' music ("Silent Heart", "Beyond Body & Mind"), some in the realm of 'World beat' music ("Global Village"), and yet others are in a more structured, melodic 'new age/electronic' vein ("Nirvana Cafe", "The Wanderer"). This particular CD, 2003's "Beyond Heaven", is one that would fit into the last catagory, and easily rates as one of Karunesh's finest overall works to date. Filled to the brim with exotic layered synth sounds, hypnotic electro-percussion, panoramic production, and strong, memorable melodies - this is the kind of album where you can just put on your headphones and get lost in all of it's imaginative soundscapes. Those who (like myself) view vocals as something of an intrusion on their new age listening experience will be pleased to know that this is a completely instrumental CD. Even better, with almost every track in the 5 to 6 minute range, there is plenty of room for the arrangements to breathe and develop...For those already familiar with Karunesh, the music here is most easily comparable in style and sound to his 2002 effort "Nirvana Cafe". (Actually, this album sounds almost like an unintentional companion piece/sequel to "Nirvana Cafe", although, in some ways, I believe it is even stronger.) On the other hand, for those who have NEVER heard any previous Karunesh works, I would say that the music here is in the same general genre as artists like Kitaro, Vangelis, & Gandalf. However, comparisons somehow fall short, as Karunesh does have many distinctive qualities that make him very much his own artist. All of the tracks found here are pretty strong, although some personal favorites include "Endless Skies" (an exotic, melodic gem that would surely have been a hit back in the days when new age artist were being played on radio and VH-1), "Beatiful Day" (featuring some gentle flute playing and a gorgeous harmonized melody), "Windrider" (highlighted by some great rhythmic sequences), and above all else the spectacular title track, "Beyond Heaven", which boasts a slow-burning electro-beat, prominent bass line, and rich, mystical synthesizer tones...My only real complaint about this album is not with the music, but with the CD booklet. No offence to the record label, but the artwork, booklet, & layout look like something that was spit out of someone's home PC after about 15 minutes of work! Karunesh is such a intriguing, distinctive artist than I would like to see him find a difinitive cover style that ties in better with his music (sort of like Yes with their Roger Dean 'fantasy' covers.) Still, at the end of the day it's the music that matters, and the music here deserves far more attention than it's recieving...A highly recommended purchase!"

Great soothing stuff...love it !!!

Vikram Ramanathan | 08/11/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"karunesh's music is soothing and relaxing. It's the kind of music that soothes you after we have had our heart's content of enigma. Devoid of samples and mixing, this is a purely instrumental work with arrangements formed by synthesizers, percussion, wind chimes, Tibetan bowls, native or traditional instruments: flutes, tabla, African drums etc which intersperses with the synthesizers, percussive and bass instruments.



Basically this is a wholly instrumental effort as opposed to Karunesh's earlier offering "Global spirit". Global Spirit is his best though. I highly recommend karunesh. His music is peaceful, devoid of any strain, soft and soothing to the ear, and yet it demands attention as it is vastly more arresting and lyrical compared to simple background elevator music. His music not only builds mental pictures but also accentuates moods and most of all, puts you in that restful place beyond heaven. Also Karunesh has the ability to fully change an instrumental phrase and modify the music to give us lyrical twists and turns. His innovative and novel musical ideas delight our senses.



There's not a bummer on this whole CD. After you get used to the music in 2 stray hearings, this CD will continue to be in your player. You can crank up the volume and listen to it attentively or cut the volume down so it can serve as effective calming background music when you want to get down to some work but still want something playing in the background to soothe your nerves.



Thumbs up !!!"